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INSIDE STORY: Behind the scenes of Joanne Ciconte's rollercoaster debut weekend in F1 ACADEMY
Joanne Ciconte’s maiden F1 ACADEMY weekend was nothing short of a rollercoaster for the Australian driver as she got her first taste of the action that awaits her this season.
Beginning her rookie journey with MP Motorsport, we caught up with one of F1 ACADEMY’s newest faces as Ciconte charts the remarkable highs and frustrating lows of her time in Shanghai.
THURSDAY – TRACK WALK & MEDIA DAY
It’s an early start for the youngest driver in the 2025 field as 16-year-old Ciconte strolls into the paddock to greet her team. Fortunately, the sunshine and warm temperatures were a stark contrast to the chilly conditions during testing under a fortnight earlier.
Filled with the buzz of anticipation and excitement that any new season brings, it was quickly down to business as the teenager, flanked by engineers and her teammates Maya Weug and fellow rookie Alba Larsen, all head out for the track walk.
Getting reacquainted with the layout over the next hour and a half, Ciconte and her team have a rough idea of what to work on. Assessing the technical track corner by corner, they continue to pour over the data on their return to the garage.
Next up on the agenda is a spot of filming, with Ciconte’s bubbly personality immediately obvious as she tests her F1 ACADEMY knowledge alongside Larsen and Gademan. Quick on the buzzer, she manages to walk away with the win and a trophy that she’ll hope will be a good omen for the year ahead.
Following the lunch break, Ciconte is on hand to give some local students an insight into her car as part of the F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE meet and greet. Then comes the Drivers Briefing as the field review the weekend’s procedures and any lingering questions they might have with Race Director Silvia Bellot.
After a final few catch-ups with her team, it’s time to head back to the hotel for ample rest before the real work starts, but not before taking the chance to say hello to some of the fans waiting patiently by the paddock.
“It just makes me smile to think about how many supporters there are,” she comments. “Especially in Shanghai, the community and the atmosphere is huge. There are so many lovely people and fans that want to say hi and take photos, but I think it's very nerve-wracking as well to see so many people watching you.”
FRIDAY – PRACTICE & QUALIFYING
Although her pre-season preparations were dominated by the simulator, nothing could compare to the real-life Grand Prix atmosphere. Ciconte seemed at ease as she patiently awaited the signal to jump into her #25 car for Practice, which came around the 8:40-mark.
Peeling her way out from the paddock to the pit lane, she wasted no time heading out on track. Admitting her first thought was “oh my gosh, Turn 1 is very long”, her mind was immediately taken up by the job at hand.
Emerging out of the car satisfied by her work, Ciconte secures the seventh-fastest time with a 2:05.052. Throughout the debrief, the team keep a close eye on how Formula 1’s first Free Practice session is unfolding, with Ciconte bracing herself to see how the track evolves.
Climbing back into her bright F1 ACADEMY-liveried car for Qualifying just after lunch, Ciconte has her aim firmly set — to try and repeat what she did earlier, but even better.
Showing competitiveness from the outside, the Australian found herself in a less than ideal track position for her crucial second set of runs. At the tail end of an eight-car train, she had limited room to slow down to find space ahead with Rafaela Ferreira close behind.
READ MORE: STANDOUT STARS: Who shone brightest in an exhilarating Round 1 in Shanghai?
Sitting in P5 as the chequered flag was flown, she dropped one place behind Alisha Palmowski by the end of running. Bouncing over to speak to us in the media pen, Ciconte says she’s “still got the adrenaline” as she took stock of her achievement.
With Weug sealing her maiden pole position and with Larsen and Ciconte in third and sixth, respectively, spirits were on a high as the MP Motorsport team congratulated themselves on a job well done.
SATURDAY – RACE 1
Bracing herself to go racing side-by-side with most of the field for the first time, Ciconte’s pre-session attitude quickly switches from exuberance to complete concentration once she slots on her helmet, on which she proudly emblazoned the Australian flag.
Starting from P3, Race 1 threw her straight into the hard knocks of racing. With Yellow Flags and three Safety Cars to contend with, it was a tough test for Ciconte.
Slipping back to P9 by the time the third Safety Car was deployed, her race soon took a big turn for the worst as she was handed a 10-second stop/go penalty for a starting procedure infringement. To add to her woes, she was hit with a second identical penalty for failing to serve the first one correctly, after taking it behind the Safety Car.
The sense of disappointment was evident as Ciconte began to summarise the events that had unfolded: “The race was very unfortunate. There were a lot of things that I couldn't control. The team made a few mistakes and that held me back from doing what I needed to do on track. I think that I made a mistake on the start, but I was ready to gain back some positions.
“(The race) was more chaotic than expected (…) It’s good for experience because I know I’m one of the youngest on the grid, so I don’t have much experience in formula racing compared to the other girls. It’s amazing to see how we all think and how we all battle against each other.”
SUNDAY – RACE 2
More determined and motivated after Saturday’s setbacks, Ciconte had clearly put the previous day’s events behind her. Whilst a top-five finish was the ultimate goal, the MP driver was pragmatic, admitting that it was “probably a lot to ask for in my first season, especially as a rookie and considering I'm very young, I don't have much experience.”
Unfortunately, her hopes were dashed soon after the lights went green for a rolling start. Dodging cars following Tina Hausmann’s contact with Nina Gademan, Ciconte looked to have made it through unscathed until Chloe Chong clipped her rear two corners later.
Sent into a spin, Ciconte’s path crossed with that of Aurelia Nobels and Nicole Havrda and all three were forced to retire. Whilst the weekend didn’t pan out the way she would have liked, particularly after such a strong performance on Friday, she was resolute in the fact that the experience would only make her stronger.
“It was definitely a hard pill to swallow,” she notes. “After Qualifying, knowing that I had the pace and the capability to be at the top, it was definitely difficult to see that I couldn't show everyone in Race 1 and Race 2. Especially after Race 1, I was ready to get into Race 2 and prove my point.
“I was definitely ready to do some overtakes and show that I had the pace to stay at the top. It was very heartbreaking and very upsetting that I couldn't deliver those results, especially being caught up in something that wasn't my fault.
"I know now to keep my eyes forward and hopefully better results (will be) delivered in Jeddah. After both races, I know what I want and I know what I deserve and hopefully I can get that in Jeddah.”
Bidding farewell to her team and Shanghai, Ciconte refused to dwell on what could have been. Giving herself homework to do on her race starts and bettering her understanding of the drivers she’ll be battling against all season, the 16-year-old is ready to seize the next opportunity to showcase the kind of driver she is — embarking on another first-time trip to the streets of Jeddah.
“I hope to adapt to the new track very quickly,” she comments. I think that it will be a slight disadvantage as most of the drivers in the field have already been to Jeddah, but I'm ready to face this new challenge and overcome many difficulties on the way. My main goal is to be around the top-10. My conclusion from the weekend is it was overall very, very difficult, but my eyes are definitely forward.”